rq3 bronze age sourcebook

7/29/2019 RQ3 Bronze Age Sourcebook

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Bronze Age Rules Sourcebook

1.0 Version (2005 AD)

Compendium of rules from my RuneQuest campaign set in the Ancient Middle East.

By Eduardo Chamn


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Cover image: Standard of Ur, scenes of war c.2700 BC

Please noteRuneQuestandWarhamer Ancient Battles are copyright of The Avalon Hill

Game Company and Games Workshop. All rights reserved. All images taken without

formal permission from the Web, they belong to their respective authors. This text is

purely done for fun and personal use with no intention to earn money or offend theowners of the images and rulebooks copyrights. Feel free to have fun with it.


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1. Introduction

This file is just a compilation of house rules of my own to set my RQ games in the times

of bronze weapons and chariot warfare. It is my intention to cover all Bronze Ageperiod, but here I only provide rules from 3000 to 1300 BC. This age includes the

Sumerian and Akkadian Empires, Old and Medium Egyptian Kingdoms and the

Hammurabic Babylonian Empire.

As this work is just some new rules I havent written a full description of every culture

and important day-life information to run a roleplaying campaign. This is not a full

sourcebook like Vikings or Land of ninja (although I would like to have the

knowledge and time to write it), just some useful rules that I hope will help you.

The Cults in the religion chapter are not really in depth developed, but for quick

character creation will give a reasonable guide.

This rules assume the use of RuneQuest III system, the phalanx combat rules appeared

in Sun County and the chariot rules of Monster Coliseum, that even include

sumerian, egyptian and hitite chariots!

Much of the information and inspiration come from the Warhammer Ancient Battles

book Chariot Wars and of course RuneQuest.

This work is dedicated to that rulebooks and to their designers.

Enjoy!

Eduardo Chamn

[email protected]


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Victory stele of Naram-Sim c. 2300 BC


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2. Peoples and cultures.

3000 BC 1300 BC

PRIMITIVE

1- Kush2- Nubia

NOMAD

1- Amorites2- Kassites3- Lybia

BARBARIAN

1- Gutium2- Hattic States3- Makkan4- Minoans5- Syria6- Subartu

CIVILISED

1- Akkad2- Elam3- Egypt4- Hammurabic Babylonia5- Sumer6- Empire of Ur


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3. Character creation

Characters may access to the profession Chariot driver of Monster Coliseum if they

belong previously to the profession Soldier.

No horse or camel riding until circa 900BC. Nobles, soldiers and suitable professions

will have Drive chariot instead. Nomad professions will change their hability points

of Ride to Hide or Sneak.

No Iniciate of any cult learn to Read/Write except priests and nobles, instead PC get

points in one additional language or Human lore. Scribes of course gain points as

described in their profession, but no through Iniciate experience.

Sargon of Akkad

Sumerian soldiers from Lagash bearing shields, spears and copper helmets


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4. Cultural weaponsThese are the weapons and starting percentages most used by each culture, and that will

be worn by a typical soldier with his appropiate armor. In civilised armies there will be

warriors with less armor (slingers, skirmishers), and in any army nobles and officials

will often wear better armor.

Note that some cultures lose points compared to RQIII rules, you can balance PC

creation letting Amorites characters to have points in shield for example, but it wont

be listed as initial equipment.

KUSH / NUBIA

Spear 1H 25

Mace 1H 25

Short bow 25

Small shield 20

Armor: None

Notes: Chieftains wear animal skins

capes of 1 armor point in chest,

abdomen and arms.

AMORITES

Spear 1H 20

Javelin or Short bow 20

Armor: None

KASSITES

Mace 1H 20

Composite bow 20

Armor: None

LYBIA

Short sword 20

Javelin or Short bow 20

Armor: animal hide cloack (1 AP in

chest, abdomen and one leg.)

GUTIUM

Spear 1M 25

Javelin 25

Axe 2H 15

Bow or throwing stick 25

Armor: 1AP animal hide on chest,abdomen and one leg.

HATTIC STATES

Spear 1H 25

Axe 1H 25

Axe 2H 15

Comet shield 25

Armor: None

Notes: They used large shields, use the

norman/comet shield stats.

MAKKAN

Spear 1H 25

Short sword 25

Javelin 25

Dagger 25

Armor: None

MINOANS

Spear 1H or 2H 25

Short sword 25

Short bow or Javelin 25

Comet shield 25

Armor: Helmet made or boars tusks (3

AP)

Notes: They used huge bull-hide

tower shields or figure of eight

shields, use the norman/comet shield

stats.

SYRIA

Spear 1H 25

Bow or Javelin25

Dagger 25

Armor: None


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SUBARTU

Spear 1H 25

Mace 1H 25

Short bow 25

Armor: None

AKKAD / SUMER / EMPIRE OF UR

Short sword, axe or mace 1H 25

Spear 1H or 2H 20

Composite bow (Akkadians) 25

Javelin or stick (Sumer, Ur) 25

Great rectangle shield 25

Armor:

Akkad: Copper helmet (4 AP), leather orfelt cross straps in chest and abdomen

(1AP)

Lagash: Copper helmet (4 AP), leather

or felt cross straps in chest and

abdomen (1AP)

Ur: Copper helmet (4AP), thick felt or

leather cape reinforced with copper

discs (2AP in every Hit

location except head)

Other cities: Copper helmet (4 AP),

thick felt or leather cape (1AP in every

Hit location except head)

ELAM

Short sword 25

Spear 1H 20

Composite bow 25

Armor: Copper helmet (4 AP)

EGYPT

Axe, mace or khepesh 25

Spear 1H 20

Composite bow 25

Comet shield 25

Armor: None

HAMMURABIC BABYLONIA

Short sword, sickle sword or axe 1H 25

Spear 1H 20

Javelin or throwing stick 25

Herald shield 25

Armor: Copper helmet (4AP), felt cross

straps supporting a bronze or leather

breastplate (3 AP on chest and

abdomen)

Notes: Babylonians used medium size

hide shields with a vague shape of

diamond, use the herald shield stats.

Use the Khepesh stats for the sickle

sword. Axes were more common.


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5. Weapons

In Ancient Times men only worked one metal to make tools, the copper; but copper is

too soft to make solid weapons, so for many centuries men fought each other using

weapons made of stone, bone and wood. No doubt that battles were violent, butweapons were not very powerful.

When men discovered that alloying copper and tin they could obtein bronze, they could

make more resistant tools and weapons, giving more militar adventages to the cultures

with access to that tecnology. That cultures were mainly the ones in the Mesopotamian

state-cities, being able to defeat the threats of the nomad peoples of the Two Rivers

peripheria. Egypt for example was an isolated culture in the times of the Old Kingdom,

settled in the Nile and with a relative state of peace and natural resources.

Mesopotamian regions on the other way had been fighting invasors and each other for

centuries, so when the Hyksos invaded Egypt wearing bronze weapons and chariots it

was an easy conquest. Egypt lands up the Nile had to learn these new technics to fightfor a hard and long time to recover their old Kingdom.

This advance also started the use of some kind of body armor, a technic that will be

hand to hand with the weapons improvements until our days.

The next step was the use of iron, discovered by the Hititites, but used for first time in

great armies by the Assyrians, because of the destruction of the Hitities in the Sea

Peoples invasions. These new iron weapons matched no rivals against the bronze

armors and weapons, and the Assysians had a way to ensure their own reign of terror

(even in the Bible they are the bad guys).

Eventually the forge of better steel was able, and by the times of the Peloponnesian

Wars we can use the weapons stats given in RQIII rulebook.

Forge of weapons is in deed more complex and techniques vary in the following

centuries, but is not my intention to enter in so much detail.

Mycenaean bronze sword and spear point.


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5.1.Weapons Rules

When I read RQIII for my first time I understood that the weapons stats were given for

use in some medieval enviroment (Cormac Saga still fascinates me), being able to beused from Antiquity (a RPG with gladius and pilum !!) to Reinascense (halberds,

double handed swords, warhammers), and I assumed that those stats were based upon

steel weapons.

Then I discovered Glorantha, just to find that in Glorantha weapons are made mainly of

Bronze using the above stats. In Gods of Glorantha are some rules to introduce

iron/steel weapons, increasing Armor points in 50% and increasing damage to some

non-human creatures.

But in Alternate Earth supplements (Vikings, Land of Ninja and Monster Coliseum) is

obvious that the RQIII weapons stats are based upon steel, so I have used them as steelweapons as I play usually in Alternate Earth.

In this campaign I wanted bronze weapons different from the RQIII steel weapons:

Less damage: Bronze lose its sharp edge more easily, although is easy to resharp.

Less armor: Bronze is softer than steel.

Same Encumbrance points: These points are calculated based on the weight and the

encumbrace due of the size. A short sword of bronze is of the same size that one of

steel.


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HAND TO HAND WEAPONS

NAME DAMAGE BRONZE IRON STONE

Axe, combat 1D8+1 7 7 -

Axe, hand 1D6 5 5 -Dagger 1D4 4 - -

Dagger 1D4+1 - 5 -

Knife 1D3 - - 3

Mace, heavy 1D10 8 9 -

Mace, light 1D8 5 5 -

Sword 1D6 8 9 -

Khepesh 1D6+1 8 9 -

Javelin 1D8 7 7 -

Spear, short 1D8 9 9 8

Spear, long 1D10 9 9 -

Pike 2D6+1 11 11 -

Notes:

The table above gives damage and armor points stats.

As metal weapons were expensive stone tools were still used for long time before

metals were common. I have assumed that knifes, spear and arrows points were made

also of stone.

Weapons made mainly of wood have more similar armor points to steel weapons.

Swords were small, broadswords and long swords didnt exist. So all swords are RQshort swords. In fact you can assume the use of daggers and call it also swords in the

game. The metalsmith from that ages were not sophisticated to make broadswords, so it

was very common to use daggers or short blades as main weapon.

A Khepesh is a sickle-sword used by mainly by egyptians.

Pikes were used in primitive phalanxs by Sumerians, Akkadian and Mycenians.


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MISSILE WEAPONS

NAME DAMAGE

Bow, short 1D6

Bow, composite 1D8Javelin 1D8

Sling 1D8

Stone, hand thrown 1D3

Throw stick 1D6

Whip 1D4

Notes:

Arrow points were made of stone, bronze or iron.

Sling and hand thrown stones do not impale.

Throw sticks were a traditional amorite weapon similar to a boomerang. They were used

as a throwing club before enganging in hand to hand combat. Use the War boomerang

stats, obviously it doesnt returns to the throwers hand.

Hammurbi stands before Shamash


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6. Cults in ancient Middle East

In the beggining of the cities, each city had its own protector deity of the city. With the

birth of the first empires several cities were under one ruler but the local gods were

added to the rulers cult. Soon there was overpopulation of gods, so they started somekind of specialization making one god ruler of the air, other god of the water, etc. That

was the birth of the pantheons in the religions. When an empire fell down, the new

rulers carried their new gods, inserting them in the conquested pantheon usually as the

new main god. Priests had then to rewrite old legends and beliefs to include the new

gods, usually through familiar bonds like son, daughter, wife, etc

This a rough guide to the Meseopotamian pantheons; just use the description, magic and

religion skills of its equivalent RQIII rulebook or Gods of Glorantha cult.

The column city refers to the city in wich that god was originally worshipped so it is

the place with more influence for his religion. In that city is usually the Main Temple ofthe cult.

SUMERIAN PANTHEON

NAME DESCRIPTION CITY RQ III CULT

Anu God of the sky,

main god

Uruk Main god

Enlil God of the earth Nippur God of the

agriculture

Ea God of the water,

giver of life

Eridu Goddess of the

earth

Tiamat Goddess of chaos

and dark seas

Krarsht

AKKADIAN PANTHEON


Sin God of the moon Ur Goddess of the

moon

Shamash God of the sun Sippar God of the sun

Ishtar Goddess of love

and beauty.

Daughter of Anu

Uruk Uleria

Ada God of the storms God of the storms


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HAMMURABIC BABYLONIAN (AMORITE) PANTHEON


Amurru Old main god God of the hunt

Marduk God of the sun,

main god.

Babylon Main god

Nabu Son of Marduk Borsippa God of the sun

Asur God of war Asur God of war

Marduk killing Tiamat


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7. MAIN REFERENCES AND OTHER RELATED WORKS I LIKE :

- RuneQuest deluxe by Greg Stafford, published by The Avalon Hill game company

The Game, a nice RPG masterwork.

-Warhammer ancient battles by Jervis Johnson, Rick Priestly, Alan & Michael Perry,

published by Games Worksop and Warhammer Historical wargames.

A very good game, with lots of History and fun. It includes nice artwork. I use

plastic 1/72 historical miniatures for playing the battles.

- Chariot Wars by Nigel Stillman, published by Games Worksop and Warhammer

Historical wargames.

A supplement book for Warhammer ancient battles, it gave me the idea andinspiration to run a campaign in Bronze Age with RQ system. Really impressive.

-Mythic Egypt, roleplaying in the Land of the Pharaohs by Earl Wajenburg, published

by Iron Crown Enterprises.

A Rolemaster sourcebook in the Campaign classics series. The historical

Rolemaster books are very good, and this one is historic accurate and full of

information.

-The Near East and The Land of Canaan by Isaac Asimov.

Who said History was boring? Fun, easy to read and well explained events and

facts. Maybe too general for people with great knowledge, but ideal for learners

and all kind of readers.

-La Pharaonne de Thbes (The she-Pharaoh of Tebes) by Francis Fvre.

An historical novel/essay. Shows the way of life in the begginig of the New

Kingdom Egypt, through the history of Hatsepsut, the only woman who became

Pharaoh.

- The Holy Bible, Genesis Various authors

Chronicles directly from Antiquity, full of references to Mesopotamia, Canaan

and Egypt. Umberto Eco said: I can read the Bible, Homer or Dylan Dog for

days and days without being bored

-Age of Bronze (Comic book serie) by Eric Shanower, published by Image Comics.

The Iliad made comic through an Historical point of view. RuneQuest flavior in

every page. A real good work.


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-Slaine (Comic book series) by Pat Mills and Simon Bisley.

Celtic fantasy Bronze Age in Europe, a bronze setting not related to the Middle

East, but worth to read and enjoy.

-King David (movie) by Bruce Beresford.

Featuring Richard Gere, is about David king of Israel. Very nice to see the

costumes and places, and the movie works for me.

I discovered this movie recently, and it is an example why I like a lot cinema of

the 80. Well balanced movie between old Peplums (roman, Jesuschrist movies)

and actual historical-lots-of-action-poor-screenplay-and-acting movies.

-A funny thing happened on the way to the Forum (movie) by Richard Lester.

Ok, no bronze, but fun, fun and fun. And there are chariots!

Apart from Spartacus, the RuneQuest adventure I would have like to be ableto run as GM...

I would like to thank my brother Jorge for his help and support, over all in the Bronze

weapons and metals info, and for playing RQ with me all these years.

Of course lots of thanks to my usual (wild) bunch of RQ players and usual pacient

playtesters of my every new campaign project!!

Alvaro (the Jarl), Javi (JAG), Jorge (Persians are invencibles!!), Pablo (Ridley rules!)

and Raul (Keep the units ranks in good order!!!)

I am very pleased with RuneQuest, for its flexible system, full of realism and

appropiate to recreate these times in any campaign. It is my will that one copy of that

rules shall be written on stone, so every one of my vassals can use them, and endure

until the End of the Times

Hammurabi. King, Emperor and satisfied customer.

Translation of the Hammurabis games code, written on diorite stele, found in Sippar.

Source: Miskatonic University, Ancient Studies department.


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Now youre one step closer to run a RQ campaign in ancient Mesopotamia,... its

Sumer time!!

rq3 bronze age sourcebook

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